Inaba Watch
by blue code
Summary: An ongoing series of generally unrelated fics that center around Adachi and his interactions with other characters. Major endgame spoilers so don't read if you haven't beaten the game yet. I shall try to update fortnightly. Do comment to share your thoughts on my writing.
1. Cabbage Dinner

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: So this is my first (of many) random AdachixRise story. I came up with this one while having cabbages for lunch in school so... yeah. Do comment and let me know how I can improve! Thanks!_

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**Cabbage dinner**

He had just bought his usual cabbages from Junes and was looking forward to cooking himself a good, healthy dinner at home. Adachi was tired out from the day's work. Running around, completing errands for Dojima-san, keeping that Detective Prince from prying too much in the investigation. It was all very tiring work. The long walk home from Junes, however, kept Adachi calm.

He reflected on the events that had occurred over the past week. Rise Kujikawa had been reported missing but she turned up again just a few days ago without a scratch on her. So that was that. But that nosy Detective Prince certainly thought there was something very odd about her sudden disappearance. Not just Kujikawa's. Even Yukiko Amagi's and Kanji Tatsumi's disappearances were strange to the young sleuth as well.

(_Pesky little brat._)

Adachi swung the bag of cabbages over his shoulder as he walked, his other hand buried in his pocket. Then he passed the Marukyu tofu store and nearly bumped face-first into Rise Kujikawa.

(_Great. Just my luck._)

"Adachi-san!" She flashed him a bright smile.

Rise was in her summer uniform, dark red hair tousled from the bump-in. She certainly did look like an idol. But Adachi was unimpressed.

(_Great. The ditzy, good-for-nothing pop idol. Just another slut in this world of imbeciles._)

Nonetheless, he forced a smile in return. "Ah! Kujikawa-san! Just finished school?"

"Uh huh!" Rise studied the Junes shopping bag he had over his shoulder. She moved closer to Adachi and peeked over his shoulder to get a better look at what was inside.

(_... Doesn't she have any sense of personal space..?_)

"Cabbages?" she asked inquiringly, "Are you having those for dinner?"

"Ahaha... Yes I am, actually. Cabbages are good for you!" The friendly smile seemed fixed on Adachi's face.

"Wow... So you're pretty health conscious huh, Adachi-san?"

(_Is all this small talk really necessary?_)

"Hey! We have some leftover silken tofu from today! Why don't you take some? I bet they'll taste good with your cabbages!"

"Ahh..." Before he could continue, Rise had already dashed back into the store to prepare the tofu for him. Adachi released a sigh of exasperation. He just wanted to be home, away from these people, these pointless social conventions.

Rise came back out with a bag of tofu and handed it to him. "Here! To show my appreciation! Y'know... When I first moved to Inaba? You and the other policemen were looking out for me, right? Thanks for that!" She beamed at him.

Adachi took the bag, the smile still plastered to his face. "You're welcome, Kujikawa-san. Well, I'll be going now."

"Hey, how about we have a cabbage dinner tonight?"

(_What?_)

"Um. What?"

Rise was still smiling. (Is she flirting?) "You just seem like a pretty good cook, Adachi-san! And it would be great if you cooked something healthy for me! I haven't really been watching my diet since I moved to Inaba... It's not a bother... Is it?"

(_It is. Very much so._)

"Uhhh. Umm. Well..."

"I'll just tell my grandma and I'll be right out!" She winked, and hopped back into the store before he could say anything else.

(_Ridiculous._)

It wasn't that Adachi didn't find her attractive. Quite the opposite, in fact. He found her alluring, and yet adorable at the same time. But ever since the incidents concerning Mayumi Amano and Saki Konishi... Adachi had decided that all females were abhorrent, they were all bitches and whores. Especially those high school brats. So when Rise had approached him, Adachi felt nothing but contempt for her and her ilk.

He enjoyed spending his quiet evenings alone at home, sitting down with his well-cooked dinner, contemplating the inevitable future of his messed up world. But he was always alone. Adachi welcomed the solitude and he didn't relish the idea of having a dinner partner. Until tonight.

Rise popped back out from the tofu store and latched onto his arm. Adachi felt nothing but disgust when she did that. And yet, he couldn't help but smile slightly when she wasn't looking.

Back at Adachi's house, he put on his apron and started cooking as Rise sat at the dinner table, watching in awe.

"Wow Adachi-san! I had no idea you could cook! It smells delicious!" she continued watching as he cooked the cabbages in the frying pan. Before too long, dinner was ready and Adachi set it up at the table neatly.

Rise took one bite of the cooked cabbages with carrots and beamed at him in delight. He felt a swell of pride in his chest as he ate as well. He had to admit, it was nice to have some company during the evening. When they had finished, Adachi cleared the dishes and the two slumped on his couch, side-by-side, drinking glasses of carrot juice.

"So you're really health-conscious, huh?"

"Ahhh... I suppose you could say so..."

Rise laughed softly. "You're a really good cook, Adachi-san. It's nice, being able to enjoy a quiet dinner like this. Even after I came back to Inaba, it's been really hard to get any peace around here. Everyone's always trying to get my autograph, or just get a glimpse of me." Rise frowned, and she seemed deep in thought.

Adachi looked at her, somewhat surprised. It never crossed his mind that celebrities had their own problems as well. It made him wonder a little. Until he dropped his glass of juice on the carpet.

(_!_)

"I'll get a cloth!" Rise bounded to her feet and rushed over to the kitchen counter. She came back with a wet cloth and started to wipe the stains off of the carpet.

"Ah... Kujikawa-san! I can manage!"

As he reached for the cloth, he inadvertently brushed against the back of her hand. Adachi froze, and his hand remained on hers. The both of them were now kneeling on the carpet, faces just a few inches away from each other. Much against his own will, Adachi could feel his face turning red and he looked away immediately.

(_Keep it together..!_)

He heard a soft giggle from beside him. "Huh?" Adachi turned back to see Rise smiling at him, and he looked away to avoid her gaze. He realized that they were still touching. With lightning speed, Adachi yanked his hand away from hers and quickly stood up to regain his composure. Rise stood up as well, hands behind her back, leaning forward very slightly.

"So… Adachi-san…"

"Huh..?"

"It's getting pretty late. Aren't you gonna walk me home? Like any good police officer would at this hour?" she seemed to edge closer to him but Adachi remained where he was.

"S-sure. I'll get my jacket."

The pair walked down the streets of the shopping district in silence. Adachi kept his hands in his pockets and did his best to maintain some distance between himself and the (_extremely underaged_) pop idol. Rise seemed completely oblivious to his anxiety.

(_What is going on with me…_)

When they finally reached Marukyu, Rise smiled prettily and said: "Thanks for dinner, Adachi-san."

"No problem…"

She took a step closer to him and fingered the end of his red tie. "We should do this again some time," she murmured softly. Rise planted a kiss on his cheek, winked at him, and disappeared into the store. When she was finally gone, Adachi breathed a sigh of relief.

(_What just happened…_)


	2. Backstory

_I've always been curious about how Adachi became the cynical character we know him as. So I decided to try my hand at writing a short story exploring his past. As always, do give feedback about how I can improve :)_

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**Backstory**

Jump to 1st February 1990. Tokyo. It is the boy's sixth birthday and his parents spend it fighting. The man is yelling in the next room, shouting something about a whore and a bastard. The door slams open and the woman storms out of the house, screaming curses back at the man. She has a large suitcase with her and she leaves the house. She does not even glance at the boy. When the woman is gone, the man slumps to the floor, sobbing. The boy does not understand, and he holds his father's hand, tears flowing down his cheeks.

When the father has calmed down, he fixes a meal for the boy. Rise with cabbages and potatoes; the only thing he knows how to make. The boy is red-faced as he eats. The man tells him never to trust a woman. "They're all just gold-diggers. All bitches and whores."

Jump to 1992, summer. The boy is teased for having a slut of a mother and a wastrel of a father. The boy can't do anything but cry. By this point in time, the man is unemployed and he has gambled away whatever savings they had left. The divorce has taken its toll on the man. The boy returns home from school one day to find his father sprawled on the living room floor, blood seeping from a bullet wound in his stomach. The boy knows that this, all of this, happened because of his mother. He does not cry. He sits down, next to his father's body and grips his hand tightly.

Jump to the year 2000. The boy is now sixteen years old. He has dropped out of high school. Education means nothing to him because the world is full of shit. He knows now that he has no talent, that he will never make it big. His grades have never been good and he knows now that there is nothing he can do to change that fact. He decides to go for the next best thing. He decides to study to enter police academy. To hold a gun, to have the power in one's hands to decide a person's fate. The boy wants power. He is tired of being the victim. He is angry, and he is sick of everything. The memory of the woman haunts him every day, the injustice done towards his father, and he is sick of it.

Jump to the year 2006. The boy, acing his theory exams and having done sufficiently well in the field tests, is now a patrol officer in Tokyo. He carries a pistol and he looks sharp in his uniform. He takes his job seriously at first, though it is unclear why, even to himself. Perhaps enough time has passed to dull the pain that nags at him. Perhaps, through the course of his police training, the boy has been blinded by a false sense of faith in the concept of justice. Perhaps he is beginning to believe that he can do good in the world, that he is finally ready to move on from the dark memories of his past.

Of course, all that changes when he sees her again, after sixteen years. The woman has aged and she does not recognize him. The boy delivers the young five year-old girl back to her house after being separated from her parents for a few hours. He rings the doorbell and there she is, happily married with a young daughter. And she does not recognize him. The woman's face betrays no hint of any past pains from her previous marriage. Is she even aware of the man's death? The boy nearly tips his cap and walks away. He has his usual cabbage dinner at night and he resolves to become a man, someone of worth. He continues to display aptitude in his work and his superiors see it.

Jump to the year 2009. The boy is now a detective. And this is where it all falls apart. His superiors mock him for having a failure of a father. They belittle him. They decide to send him to some shithole called Inaba. And the boy is no longer a boy. He works hard but he only receives injustice. The boy is now a man. He is a man because he finally knows, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that the world is indeed full of shit. He does not have a choice in anything, he has no hope. He will never achieve anything but whatever spoils the world decides to throw at him. He will never receive any form of recognition. The memories of his parents still haunt him. He has no hope.

Jump to Inaba. The place looks like a dump. It is the lousy countryside, after all. The man stops his car at the gas station as he comes into town. Just to fill up the tank, just to get a feel of the place. The station attendant, some grey-haired female, approaches him and makes unnecessary small talk that he does not need. Then she shakes his hand and says with a smile: "Welcome to Inaba."

For the first time, after twenty-six years of his life, Tohru Adachi opens his eyes.


	3. Patrol

_Hi all! Just wanna say thanks to everyone who's read the stories so far and those who gave me constructive criticisms :) I'll definitely try to improve from there. This is another short AdachixRise fic. I really like the dynamics of these two characters and I've always wondered about little moments they'd share when they interacted with each other. Apologies if you guys don't like the pairing..._

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**Patrol**

Adachi was put on patrol duty. He had misplaced some of the paperwork on the Inaba murder case and this was Dojima's idea of punishment for him.

_(Not that I mind patrol duty. It's better than sitting around in a cramped office anyways.)_

The afternoon was hot, though. He began to perspire from the heat. He took off his jacket and hung it over his shoulder and loosened his favorite red tie as he walked along the Samegawa riverbank. Adachi flashed his usual friendly smile at anyone who looked his way. Keeping up appearances was something that Adachi had become very used to and it almost seemed like second nature.

It must have been dismissal time at Yasogami High because Adachi noticed many high school students walking past him, chattering excitedly.

_(Brats.)_

Then he saw her, clutching onto the arm of Souji Seta. Adachi made a face but quickly turned it into a harmless smile as they approached. Rise noticed him first and she waved at him. "Adachi-san!" She smiled, showing off her perfect teeth.

Souji smiled politely as well and greeted him.

"Ahh... Hi there! I'm on patrol today. Nice running into you kids!" somehow, Adachi managed a laugh.

Rise yanked Souji to a stop as she continued making small talk with the detective. How were things at the station? Why are you on patrol? Are you on your way to buy more cabbages?

Adachi kept his well-rehearsed smile plastered on his face the whole time as he fired answer after answer in response to Rise's animated questions. Souji, keeping quiet all this time, was even beginning to look exasperated with the amount of time Rise was wasting on her pointless questions.

_(Could be my imagination. But I sure wish she'd stop asking so much too.)_

Finally, Rise grinned at him, signaling the end of her questioning.

"Great! Let's go, senpai!" She yanked Souji's arm and the two walked on. He sighed and continued on his way, wondering what he should cook for dinner that night...

Adachi walked on listlessly, not paying attention to his surroundings. After walking for awhile more, the sun began to set and Adachi sat himself down at the riverbank, throwing nearby rocks into the water. This went on for a few minutes before he felt a light tap on his shoulder.

"H-huh?"

Rise grinned at him. "Hey Adachi-san! I thought I'd accompany you on your patrol!"

"That's not really allowed... You'll get me into trouble, Kujikawa-san... B-besides, I'm nearly done with patrol!" he laughed nervously.

"Aww... Live a little!"

_("Live a little", huh..? That's all you youngsters know how to say. How could you know any better, when you haven't even experienced life yet?)_

He sighed and continued throwing rocks and Rise sat next to him. "Weren't you heading home with Dojima's nephew?"

She pouted a little before saying: "Apparently he's made plans with Yukiko senpai. He's always jumping from girl to girl!" Rise frowned a little, she seemed almost upset.

_(Well, that's what the good-looking teenage boys do.)_

"Enough about him. I like you, Adachi-san! Sometimes it's just easier being around mature, grown-up adults. They're much more sensitive, aren't they?"

Adachi managed a small smile.

_(If only...)_

"I mean, Kanji-kun's always going on about how you're just a hapless cop-"

_(Ouch!)_

"-but I think you're different! There's more to you than he thinks. Isn't there?" she smiled prettily at him. Adachi couldn't help but notice how perfectly the light from the sun seemed to hit her face so perfectly, how it just made her hair look so radiant.

Not unlike a large proportion of the male population in Japan, Adachi always had a little crush on the young pop idol, despite the fact that she was underaged and that they were ten years apart. The girl was cute and he couldn't help but smile back at her sheepishly.

"Ahhh... Kujikawa-san. I... um. Well..."

"What is it?" she seemed genuinely concerned.

"I'm not what you think I am. I... Adults aren't all that... Y'know?"

_(What am I saying...)_

Rise paused for awhile, taking in his words, before she broke into a half-smile. It wasn't her idol smile. This one was soft, more warm, more... reassuring, perhaps? Adachi certainly did not expect such a response from the ditzy pop idol. Rise slipped her arm around his and leaned lightly on his shoulder.

"Everyone's got a hidden side to them, Adachi-san. You're not alone."

Adachi looked at the red-haired girl, speechless. Then he smiled to himself and the pair sat together, watching the sunset.


	4. All His Wanting

_So this has a few references to Backstory, my second fic in this collection, because I wanted to try to expand a little bit on Adachi's character and all the angst and internal feelings I imagine him going through in the entire game. This is an AdachixNanako fic. I love this pairing as well and I hope you do too! As usual, thanks for all the feedback you've given me and do let me know what you think of this one. The next one-shot I'm working on for this collection is much more light-hearted than all the ones I've published so far so stay tuned for that!_

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**All His Wanting**

Junes always had the best cabbages. Everything was fresh and green and healthy. But most importantly, it was cheap enough. And if there was one thing Adachi loved about Inaba, it was accompanying Nanako on her trips to the grocery department to do some shopping.

Dojima was working late again that night and he wanted Adachi to drop by the residence to check on the kids. He complied happily enough. He didn't necessarily like Souji that much, but it was always a pleasure to visit Nanako and see how she was doing. Adachi left the office in good spirits and set off for the Dojima residence.

He rang the doorbell and Nanako answered the door within seconds. She opened the door very slightly at first, just to check who it was. When she recognized the man in the black suit with messy hair, she opened the door wide and smiled politely at him.

Adachi smiled sheepishly at the young brown-haired girl and said: "Ah... Nanako-chan! Your father's... Well..." he trailed off.

"He's working late again, isn't he?" she didn't even seem surprised. In fact, she looked almost resigned.

_(Poor girl.)_

He unconsciously put his right hand on the back of his neck, with a troubled expression on his face. Adachi grimaced and said: "Yeah... Sorry about that. Well, I was just checking up on you and Souji-kun. See if you kids were alright."

"Big bro's out late tonight." _(This just keeps getting better and better.)_ "I should start getting ready for dinner soon." Then, an idea struck him.

"Hey Nanako-chan. Why don't I help out with dinner?"

_(She looks like she could use some company...)_

Adachi did not particularly like having any interaction with people, or getting caught up in social situations. When it came to Nanako, however, he couldn't help himself. Perhaps it was because she always seemed to be neglected by her own father, and Souji wasn't always around with her either. Adachi found himself empathizing with her.

"R-really?" she brightened up a little.

He grinned and said in an upbeat tone: "Yeah! I may not look the part, Nanako-chan, but I'm a pretty good chef!" The girl smiled and let him into the house. Adachi took off his jacket and went straight to the kitchen.

"So! What're we cooking tonight?"

"Umm… I was going to buy bento sets for everyone…" Nanako looked at her feet, as if in embarrassment. "I'm not very good at cooking…"

Adachi smiled widely, placed a hand lightly on her left shoulder and said: "Don't worry, Nanako-chan! With me around, I'm sure we can cook up something really delicious! Let's go get some groceries at Junes!"

Her eyes widened in pleasant surprise. "Yes! Every day's great at your Junes!" Nanako beamed at him and Adachi just smiled back at her. He put on his jacket again, took Nanako's hand and they left the house together, en route to Junes. It was late afternoon in Inaba and the pre-evening hustle and bustle was settling in at the Central Shopping District. Every now and then, Nanako would squeeze his hand as she struggled to keep up with Adachi's pace and he'd just slow down very slightly to let her catch up.

At Junes, Adachi helped her pick out the best cabbages and explained the importance of vegetables and healthy eating. He felt almost happy, just taking pleasure in the simple act of buying groceries with a young child. For him, it was a similar experience to a past memory that was so far removed from this point in his life.

_(And if there's anything I've learned from all that… It's that good things never last. It's not real.)_

Adachi studied the girl intently as she continued choosing other ingredients for the night's dinner.

_(The world doesn't deserve her. She… I wish I could… But I can't. She'll be happier in the new world. When it's all said and done, she'll be better off. I'll take care of her.)_

His mind was in a mess.

But all his thoughts soon evaporated when they were back at the Dojima residence, pouring the ingredients into a pot, making a delicious vegetable salad. Adachi found joy _(temporary, of course)_ in teaching her how to prepare a simple dish his own father used to cook up for him.

"Wow… You weren't lying when you said you were a good cook!" Nanako beamed up at him in admiration.

Adachi was perspiring slightly from the heat of the kitchen. He chuckled nervously and said: "Ahhh you mean you doubted me, Nanako-chan?" He smiled at her, his chest swelling with pride at the girl's compliment. "Are you done chopping up the potatoes?"

According to Nanako, whenever Souji was home to do the cooking, he never allowed her to handle the dangerous jobs, such as turning on the stove or even helping with the slicing of the ingredients. But Adachi knew better.

_(She can handle herself.)_

Nanako looked almost proud when she handed the dish of diced potatoes to him. "I did my best!" He took the dish, looked at the roughly cut potatoes and said cheerily: "Could still use a bit of work but… It's good for a first try." He smiled encouragingly.

Dinner was soon ready and the pair sat together in the dining room, enjoying the fruits of their hard work. "It's delicious!" Nanako exclaimed, "I hate vegetables but this salad's really tasty, Adachi-san!" She ate her food with much enthusiasm and Adachi felt a small smile break onto his face.

He found it odd that such a simple thing like having dinner with his superior's young child could make him feel so fulfilled, so content. He knew right then, in that moment, that such little experiences were what he had yearned for. Adachi looked down at his food, recalling very distant memories from his past, when things were so simple.

_(But that's not possible anymore.)_

"Nanako-chan?"

The girl looked up at him inquiringly.

"Ahh… Thank you for tonight."

She smiled.


End file.
